Best Movies with Golf

At a golf outing last summer, I entered a Chinese auction and won lessons with former Center Valley Club pro Larry Wise. The guy has done wonders, particularly considering how little he had to work with. I can’t wait to get back on the course.

This is the weekend when all hackers feel the lure. Augusta National, site of the Masters tournament, is like a cathedral, and the first-day leaderboard would have been amazing even if Tiger Woods hadn’t made such a spectacular return.

Since I’m stuck in the office, I decided the best outlet for my golf fever was to prepare a list of the best movies that have some kind of golf scene.

This isn’t a list of the best golf movies, mind you. There are only a handful of really good ones anyway, and I left a couple of them out. Rather, they’re movies where golf played some role, even very small. The rankings go to the quality of the movie, not the quality or extent of the golf.

I’m sure I’ve missed good ones, because there aren’t many other lists like this on the Internet. So feel free to chime in with your own or quarrel with my choices.

Let’s go:

1. From Here to Eternity — Awesome movie, but what you may not recall is that when Montgomery Clift is mistaken for a saboteur and shot to death as he tries to return to his unit after the Pearl Harbor attack, it happens on a golf course. They find his body in a sand trap.

2. Caddyshack — There are two Bill Murray movies on the list, which is appropriate. By the way, if you haven't seen him in "Zombieland," you should rent it. I thought it was great, and he had a terrific cameo. No golf, but lots of cardio.

3. MASH — Amid the wartime mayhem, Trapper John and Hawkeye are forever looking for chances to hit balls or get out on the course.

4. Goldfinger — James Bond tricks the cheating Goldfinger to win their big golf match. Sean Connery had a pretty good swing, and Oddjob made an intimidating caddy.

5. Ordinary People — Loved this movie. At one point, parents Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore fly to Houston for a golfing vacation.

6. Sideways — Yeah, there's a lot of wine-sipping, but there's also a wacky scene on a golf course.

7. Lost in Translation — Bill Murray takes to the course in Japan in this very interesting movie.

8. Happy Gilmore — Yeah, it’s low-brow entertainment, but this movie about a hockey player turned golfer made me laugh out loud, often. I particularly loved the Bob Barker brawl.

9. Something About Mary — There’s a golf scene, and the movie is hilarious.

10. Falling Down — If you’ve never seen the part where Michael Douglas is walking up the fairway and frightens the obnoxious duffer into a heart attack, you should check it out.

My husband knows two brothers who won a celebrity auction bid to play golf with Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. They said Bill was an excellent golfer and Chevy was absolutely terrible. Awesome experience!

That would be a Cinderella story, given that Chevy and Bill reportedly hate each other. I read an article recently about the filming of that great Caddyshack scene, when Tigh (Chevy) wants to play through Carl's (Bill) shack. It took a few takes to film it because the two of them were at each other.

Susan-the celebrity auction that I'm referring to was a few years ago (maybe 5 or so years) but here is a link to a more recent one they did together. Apparantly they get over their differences for charity.

Speaking of golf, what happened to the Morning Call online golf contest?

Posted By: DON | Apr 14, 2010 5:13:39 PM

Was this something run by our marketing department?

Posted By: bill white | Apr 14, 2010 5:27:46 PM

Yes, when you click on CONTESTS, the iron pigs and stockcar and win a honeymoon contests are there, but golf is gone, although I did get an E-mail to make this week's picks. I guess it is now closed to all but the 790 who did the Masters.